Failure Index Reduction Strategy for Artificial Lift Systems in Cira Infantas Field

Abstract The Cira Infantas Field is located in the Middle Magdalena Valley Basin. It was discovered in 1918, the first oil producing field in Colombia, reaching a peak production of 53,000 BOPD in 1939. The field has been subject to different methods of secondary recovery, gas injection and waterflooding since then. In 2006, a waterflooding redevelopment with injection-production system optimization was started. In the first year, oil production increased from 4,500 BOPD to 9,800 BOPD and injection increased from 12,000 BWIPD to 36,000 BWIPD. After an increase of the Failure Index in 2012, the artificial lift team developed a strategy to reduce this performance indicator based on process improvements including supply chain, design, storage, installation procedures, well start up and well surveillance. As of December 2014, the field has 1000 producing wells and 408 injectors. The most common artificial lift system (ALS) is Beam Pump (BP) with 760 wells; followed by Progressive Cavity Pump (PCP) with 135 wells; Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) with 99 wells and Electrical Submersible Progressive Cavity Pump (ESPCP) with 6 wells. The main failure causes are associated with sand, corrosion (CO2 is present), poor monitoring and operation procedures among others. The application of the Root Cause Failure Analysis, RCFA was the first step to identify the artificial lift problems to be solved. One of the first conclusions showed the necessity to redefine the production range for the different ALS. This is an example that the problems are not always associated to the reservoir fluids, leading the team to define a strategy that covers all stages where ALS's are involved. The new implemented strategy yield a reduction in the ALS failure index from 0.67 to 0.47 in just 24 months. The savings enabled the operation to carry out additional well work (Workover & Well service) without additional funding.